Processes for roll forming a bed assembly for a pickup truck including horizontally floor panel and right and left upright inner side panels

Abstract

A vehicle box assembly wherein a bed floor and the inner right and left side wall panels are defined by and assembled from two monolithic one-piece integrated side/floor panel members. The two panel members are preferably formed by roll forming a thin metal sheet so that only a single roll-formed panel configuration is required. Subsequent forming operations, such as punching or die forming, are carried out on the roll-formed configuration to create right and left panel members which are assembled to define the floor and opposed inner side panels of the box assembly.

1. A process for forming a bed assembly for a pickup truck, the bed assembly including a generally horizontally large floor panel and right and left upright inner side panels extending along and protruding upwardly from opposite lengthwise-extending side edges of said floor panel, comprising the steps of:
 (a) feeding a generally flat, wide, thin metal sheet longitudinally into and through a rolling mill to effect reshaping of the sheet in transverse cross section, said reshaping including (i) defining a first portion of the sheet adjacent and extending along one longitudinally extending edge thereof, and (ii) roll forming a second portion of the sheet, as defined sidewardly adjacent the first portion, to define a floor panel section having a plurality of sidewardly spaced but generally parallel ribs extending longitudinally of the sheet; 
 (b) forming a wheel well opening through said sheet at a location so that the opening is defined partially in each of said first and second portions; 
 (c) transversely bending said sheet generally along a lengthwise-extending region defined between said first and second portions so that said first portion protrudes substantially perpendicularly relative to said second portion; 
 (d) forming a generally flat edge flange along the other longitudinally extending edge of said sheet; 
 (e) transversely severing the sheet across the width thereof to define a defined length panel member; 
 (f) defining a first monolithic one-piece bed member by carrying out steps (a) through (e) above; 
 (g) defining a second monolithic one-piece bed member by carrying out steps (a) through (e) above; 
 (h) positioning said first and second bed member in opposed and facing relationship so that the floor panel sections are in horizontally adjacent side-by-side relation with the flat edge flanges thereof being in overlapping abutting engagement; 
 (i) fixedly positioning said first and second bed members, in said opposed and facing relationship, on top of a plurality of transversely extending cross rails; and 
 (j) fixedly securing said edge flanges together. 
 
     
     
       2. A process according to  claim 1 , wherein the reshaping of the metal sheet as it is fed through the rolling mill includes roll forming a transversely protruding edge flange lengthwise along said one longitudinally extending edge for defining a top rail of the inner side panel. 
     
     
       3. A process according to  claim 1 , including the step of:
 providing first and second wheel well housings, and fixedly securing the first and second wheel well housings to the respective first and second bed members along the edge of the opening as defined in the respective first and second portions. 
 
     
     
       4. A process according to  claim 3 , including the steps of transversely severing the sheet upon discharge from the rolling mill;
 then forming said openings in the roll-formed sheets to define right and left said panel members; and 
 then transversely bending said right and left panel members. 
 
     
     
       5. A process for forming a bed assembly for a pickup truck, the bed assembly including a generally horizontally large floor panel and right and left upright inner side panels extending along and protruding upwardly from opposite lengthwise-extending side edges of said floor panel, comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a generally flat but wide, thin metal sheet; 
 (b) providing a rolling mill having a plurality of rolling stages for reshaping the sheet; 
 (c) feeding the flat sheet longitudinally into and through the rolling mill to effect reshaping of the sheet in transverse cross section, said reshaping including (i) roll forming a first portion of the sheet, as defined adjacent and extending along one longitudinally extending edge thereof, to define a transverse flange which defines a top rail of one said inner side panel, and (ii) roll forming a second portion of the sheet, as defined sidewardly adjacent the first portion, to define a floor panel section having a plurality of sidewardly spaced but generally parallel ribs extending longitudinally of the sheet; 
 (d) forming a wheel well opening through said sheet at a location so that the opening is defined partially in each of said first and second portions; 
 (e) transversely bending said sheet generally along a lengthwise-extending region defined between said first and second portions so that said first portion protrudes substantially perpendicularly relative to said second portion; 
 (f) forming a generally flat edge flange along the other longitudinally extending edge of said sheet so that said flat edge flange protrudes substantially perpendicularly relative to said floor panel section and protrudes in an opposite direction from the first portion of said sheet; 
 (g) transversely severing the sheet across the width thereof to define a defined length panel member; 
 (h) defining a first monolithic one-piece bed member by carrying out steps (a) through (g) above; 
 (i) defining a second monolithic one-piece bed member by carrying out steps (a) through (g) above; 
 (j) positioning said first and second bed member in opposed and facing relationship so that the floor panel sections are in horizontally adjacent side-by-side relation with the flat edge flanges thereof being in opposed abutting engagement and protruding downwardly; 
 (k) fixedly positioning said first and second bed members in said opposed and facing relationship, on top of a plurality of transversely extending cross rails; and 
 (l) fixedly securing said edge flanges together. 
 
     
     
       6. A process according to  claim 5 , including the step of:
 forming each of said first and second bed members so that they are substantially mirror images of one another. 
 
     
     
       7. A process according to  claim 6 , wherein the sheet is transversely severed prior to (1) forming of the wheel well openings and (2) transverse bending the sheet. 
     
     
       8. A process according to  claim 7 , wherein the sheet is transversely severed after exiting the rolling mill. 
     
     
       9. A process according to  claim 7 , wherein the openings are formed in the bed members prior to the transverse bending thereof. 
     
     
       10. A process according to  claim 5 , including the step of providing the sheet having a width which permits only a single said bed member to be roll-formed within the width thereof. 
     
     
       11. A process according to  claim 10 , including the steps of transversely severing the sheet upon discharge from the rolling mill;
 then forming said openings in the roll-formed sheets to define right and left said panel members; and 
 then transversely bending said right and left panel members. 
 
     
     
       12. A process according to  claim 5 , including the step of:
 providing first and second wheel well housings, and fixedly securing the first and second wheel well housings to the respective first and second bed members along the edge of the opening as defined in the respective first and second portions. 
 
     
     
       13. A process according to  claim 5 , including the steps of:
 forming aligned cut-like notches which extend inwardly from opposite edges of the sheet at defined spaces in the lengthwise direction of the sheet, prior to the sheet being longitudinally roll-formed; and 
 transversely severing the sheet generally between the aligned notches after the sheet has been reshaped during passage thereof through the rolling mill. 
 
     
     
       14. A process according to  claim 5 , wherein the flange formed along the edge of the first portion of the sheet has a channel-shaped cross section.